


Side By Side

by NotSoHotsuin



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: A little, Angst, Best Friends, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mostly Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 18:37:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10950393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSoHotsuin/pseuds/NotSoHotsuin
Summary: Makoto is uncertain about what path she should take.Hibiki is there to cheer her up.Daichi is there always because wherever Hibiki goes, Daichi will follow.





	Side By Side

**Author's Note:**

> It's sad to see Makoto/Hibiki doesn't get as much attention as it deserves.  
> Hopefully this will make someone out there happy because Makoto/Hibiki is a super cute ship.  
> Enjoy 'v'~

The ocean appeared black due to the scar that covered the sky and the land. It was impossible not to notice how much darker the world had gotten these last few days. Makoto stood gazing out over the ocean that used to be a deep blue sheen before the demons arrived. Everything was now in a murky and gray tone; or perhaps that was just her perception of the situation. Living in this world did not exactly give her high hopes for the future. Even thinking about what the future had in store made her worry not only for herself, but for everyone else involved. Her hand tightened around the railing that kept her at a distance from the crashing waves.

“My ideals… are they truly…” Following Yamato seemed like the only alternative. Even if she agreed more with Ronaldo, she knew Yamato would put an end to him. There simply was no other way. She had seen Yamato’s power first-hand. From that alone, it was already clear that Ronaldo would fall. All that was plaguing her mind now was what side Hibiki would ultimately choose. She hated fighting her friends, but if Hibiki went against Yamato’s wishes, Yamato might even get the urge to utterly eliminate him. It was impossible to predict what a Hotsuin would do, and Makoto tried her best not to meddle in his affairs out of respect. 

“Makoto-!” A familiar voice called from a distance.    
“Kuze?” She let go of the railing and headed on over to meet him halfway. When she reached him, he seemed rather out of breath. “-Is something the matter? Have Demons infiltrated our headquarters?” Hibiki shook his head; hands on his thighs, trying to get some oxygen back into his system before entertaining Makoto’s conversation. He stood up straight, and breathed out one last time before smiling.   
“Good weather for a powerwalk.”   
“A… A powerwalk? You were… running just for fun?” The confused look on Hibiki’s face told Makoto that he had made a joke that completely went over her head.   
“My apologies,” She stressed before he had the chance to interject. “-What is your status?”   
“We defeated a group of demons near the Nagoya branch. Daichi is there taking care of the rest.”   
“Will Shijima be alright without you there for support?” Hibiki seemed rather flustered by the implication. It was an amusing sight, especially by how casually Makoto posed the question. A moment like this was a rarity in their world’s current state, so she made sure to enjoy every bit of it.   
  
“We’re not attached to the hip or anything.” He put his hands in his pockets and gazed out over the open sea, feeling a slight chill from the breeze. Makoto found his childlike pose somewhat endearing.   
“So it would seem,” She gave him a small smile, before she gazed back upon the open waters. At least, what could be seen of it. The black scar had already started to spread so far, and it was near impossible to see the horizon no matter which way you turned.   
  
“Cheer up,” Hearing Hibiki say it so abruptly startled her a little.   
“Oh, did I look troubled? It’s not something you should be concerned about. After all, you’ve got a lot on your plate already.” She wanted to ask him why he was rolling his eyes at her, but the question was answered without it ever been asked.   
  


“You can tell me what’s bothering you, Makoto.” Her gaze lowered, and she tried to avoid making eye contact. A sigh escaped her lips before she opened up about her troubles. It was always so easy to talk to Hibiki. He seemed like the only person aside from Otome who really cared for her wellbeing. Of course, the chief cared for her wellbeing as well, but he was not all too verbal about it. She was also aware that his concern only stretched as far as how useful she could be during combat. It did not feel the same with Hibiki, so pouring her heart out to him instead of Otome felt like a good way to go about this issue. After all, Otome had already made up her mind, whereas Makoto was still having mixed feelings. Hibiki’s opinion on the matter was also unknown, so she hoped to get a different perspective out of him.

“I’m beginning to doubt my own worth at JP’s. I feel as if I’m not needed. Moreover, the people Ronaldo helps out… I don’t feel like I want to abandon them by implementing this merit system. I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m conflicted. I don’t understand my own ideals, and not knowing what side to pick terrifies me.” Hibiki allowed her to finish before folding his arms across his chest to think about it. No matter how carefully he selected his words, there really only seemed to be one way around this.

 

“Go with who you agree with the most.”   
“That’s it, though. I don’t agree with either of them fully. I wish there was another way...” A thought occurred to Hibiki, and he steered the conversation down a different route.   
“...Daichi and Fumi seem to know of a different way. They said they could rewrite the world and restore it to its earlier state. Do you want to go talk to them?”   
“A third way? Is that really possible?” She hoped she did not come across as too eager. That would be in poor taste for someone who had sworn loyalty to Hotsuin. Fortunately, Hibiki did not seem to notice, or did not care.    
“We can’t be sure until we ask Fumi.”   
  
“Ah, right. Sorry. It was silly of me to think you would have all the data at hand.” The smile on Hibiki’s face eased her worries, and helped her smile along. In this destroyed world where nothing but war seemed to be held over different ideals; she managed to find a moment of peace where she could just be herself. She truly felt as if she was in debt to Hibiki for allowing her to go back in time and feel like a normal person again; the person she was before she became an authority figure for JP’s.

“Do you want to come with me?” He held his hand out for her to take. Although, Makoto was unsure if he wanted her to shake his hand or if he planned on guiding her back to JP’s HQ simply by holding her hand the entire way. The thought of them holding hands and walking down the street sent a shiver down her spine. It was a pleasant thought, but it scared her more than anything. These thoughts were in bad taste for someone who was supposed to ensure the safety of civilians like Hibiki. Sure, Hibiki proved himself in battle, but Makoto still felt as if it was her duty to protect him, rather than the other way around. With slight hesitation, she let her palm rest on Hibiki’s.

“Super secret Otome handshake, am I right!?” His hand took a solid grip on hers, and shook it in a rather funky way. Makoto took a step back, a little uncertain as of what just happened. There was a curious look on her face. She seemed somewhat disappointed and saddened that she could not figure out exactly what it was Hibiki was trying to say or do.   
“Why do you keep bringing that up? I still don’t understand what it means…” She wanted to ask if this was Otome’s sense of humor, and if she just sent Hibiki out to act as a substitute for her teasing. However, all her thoughts came to a halt when Hibiki put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.

 

“You’re not getting away without a hug,” The move surprised her, but she quickly adjusted to the touch and leaned into it. Her eyes closed to better embrace the moment, and her expression appeared much softer. When Makoto wrapped her arms around him in return, Hibiki tightened his grip and smiled. Makoto wondered if it was her imagination, or if Hibiki was actually nuzzling closer. In any case, she pulled away after a minute or two and appeared a lot more relaxed.   


“I… I really appreciate everything you’ve done for us. Thank you.” She wanted to thank him for being so generous and kind to her, but only speaking for herself seemed a little selfish. It was better to thank him on behalf of the entire JP’s organization, rather than take a personal route. It disappointed her a little that she had to think it through like this. She would much rather be personal with him, but as an authority figure and an important member of the JP’s organization, it could not be allowed.   
  


“Still so formal?” It really could not be helped. It was how JP’s operated. If Hotsuin ever called Makoto by her first name she would question the very fabric of reality.    
“I’m not sure what you mean. This is how I always act. Does it bother you?”   
“You can relax, Mako,”   
“M-mako? Kuze, not that I mind, but I don’t think chief Hotsuin will approve of how casually we’re greeting each other.”   
“Yamato doesn’t have to know. It can be our secret.”   
“B-but-!”   
“Maaaaako-!” She did like the way he said her name. He also made a valid point. Said chief was not here. There was no reason to be so formal.   
“Ah, then…” Hibiki seemed to be beaming with happiness.   
  
“Thank you, Kuze Hibiki.” Hibiki’s palm came to rest on his forehead with a loud slap. Well, it was a start. He shook his head slightly and laughed it off. Makoto might not be comfortable calling him by his first name yet, but he wanted to make sure to change that in the near future. There was a slight blush on her cheeks. She turned to look away, and held the back of her palm over her lips to hide the hesitation in her voice.    
  
“I… think we should return to Jp’s headquarters now. The others are most likely already there.” She felt a hand over hers; slowly pulling her closer.   
“Let’s go.” She could not deny that Hibiki had a very strong aura that drew her in. It was not really his looks or his confidence, even if he had that to spare, but it was his empathy and kindness that won her heart.    
“Right,” Walking side-by-side next to him made her feel as if she knew her purpose for once. It was not that Hibiki gave her purpose, but that he helped her realize her own purpose so effortlessly. She did not desire a world under a merit system, nor a world where everything was equal. This world they were walking through right now before the demon’s arrival was perfect in its imperfection. No human should have the right to reign overlord and decide everyone’s fate. Not like this. If Hibiki spoke true of this third way, she would like to bring the world back the way it was originally intended to be. Yes, the world was imperfect, but it was always going to remain imperfect because of all the conflict that came with free will. Trying to change it to the extreme was only going to tear the world in two.

 

“Hmmm…” She stopped walking, but continued holding Hibiki’s hand when he spoke up.   
“Is something wrong, Ku- I mean, Hibiki?” Making use of his first name was going to be hard to adjust to, but she was making the extra effort to do so. Hibiki wore a somewhat blank expression before he narrowed his eyes. It was a look Makoto never really saw often. In a voice that was barely above a whisper, he told her his thoughts.   
  


“You’re… taller than me.”   
“W-what? Where did that come from all of a sudden?”   
“Daichi is taller than me. You’re taller than me. Even Yamato is taller than me and I’m older than him...” He seemed somewhat dejected. “Life is unfair.” Out of all the things she expected him to say, this was by far not one on her mind. She tried to hold back a chuckle, but ended up laughing out loud. It took her a few seconds to calm down, but seeing Hibiki’s confused expression helped speed up the process.   
“I never thought you to be the type of person who would think about those arbitrary things.” She was grinning, but her laughter had died down immensely. “You don’t act worried over the fate of the world, but you’re concerned with our height-differences?”   
  


“I can change the fate of the world with willpower. I can’t grow taller with willpower.” Makoto knew how ridiculous this conversation was, but she humored him. He did have a point in a logical sense. They would most likely change the fate of the world in some way before Hibiki gained one or two centimeters in height. She wondered if he could strike a deal with Polaris and help rewrite the world with that change in mind. However, she held her tongue and refrained from joking around when Hibiki still seemed like he had something to say. 

 

“-Plus, it’s a hassle to always have to stand on your toes when you’re kissing someone.”   
“Only if the person is taller than you, Hibiki.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Hibiki chuckled. She would have asked him why he was looking at her so caringly had he not inched closer closed the gap between their lips, embracing her in a hug and a soft kiss. This was probably in violation to some rule at JP’s, but she could not remember which one in specific. She also didn’t really care about the rules right now. Her hands rested around Hibiki as she closed her eyes and sighed with content. 

 

For a small moment, only the two of them existed in this space. This spot too would eventually be devoured by the black scar. However, the memories of their fate at this location would continue to live on within her forever.

 

Or so she thought.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hibikiiiiiiii~” Daichi practically tackled him in a suffocating hug. Hibiki loved his best friend dearly, but the bruises all over his body were starting to disagree with him.   
“Daichi, every time you jump me like that, you shorten my lifespan by a whole year.”   
“Oh, in that case, happy 500th birthday!” That was not even remotely how it worked, but it was so typical of Daichi not to take his comment seriously. “-Come on, man! That new RPG is about to release. They say it’s going to be freaking awesome!” This was something they had both been looking forward to, and thanks to Daichi’s new driver’s license, they could get around town with much more ease. Although, not unlike Daichi, he forgot his license at home, so they had to walk instead of use the car. Everything seemed to be going well, and the conversation they held was rather enjoyable, but when Hibiki turned to look towards the open sea, he came to a full stop. Daichi had continued talking without noticing Hibiki fell behind. Once he caught his best friend staring at nothing, he ran towards him to ask what was wrong. Hibiki had a concerned look on his face, almost as if he was trying to remember something.

  
“You okay there, dude?”

“I feel like I’m… forgetting something important.”  _ Someone important. _   
“Uh, yeah you are. Your best friend is trying to get you a copy of the best RPG scheduled to release this year and you’re stuck looking over the boring ocean. I’ll admit, it’s pretty, but you know what else is pretty? These graphics!” Daichi pulled his phone up next to Hibiki’s face and showed him a clip of the protagonist fighting some strange mythological creature. Faint words of  _ ‘It’s almost scary how good I am!’ _ and  _ ‘Looking cool, Joker!’ _ buzzed through the speakers.   
“Cool huh? I wonder what it would feel like to kick a demon’s ass in real life.”   
“You’d probably run away.”   
“Haha, that’s-! Not untrue. But that’s why we play games! Come on now! Don’t make me beg. You know I will. I’m pretty good at it too. I’ve had a lot of practice.” Hibiki nodded and began walking next to Daichi. Even this action felt so strangely nostalgic. Side by side. Walking down the same path. He furrowed his brows and pulled out his own phone.   
  
“Demons… Hmm…” This whole situation felt odd. He checked his phone thoroughly, trying to find a specific site to use. A site he did not remember the name of.

  
_ A site that no longer existed. _


End file.
